Student Visa for Austria

Students who will stay in Austria for a longer period to attend university or a language school need a residence permit called the "Aufenthaltserlaubnis für Studierende". Students can apply at the Austrian consulates in Turkey, submitting their university admission letter (Zulassungsbescheid) together with all other documents prepared in line with the requirements.

Documents the consulate requires for the visa application, in addition to the university admission letter:

• Application form
• Passport and notarised translation of the passport
• Notarised translation of the certificate of residence
• Notarised translation of a copy of the national identity card
• Notarised criminal record certificate
• Student residence confirmation, rental contract or letter of invitation
• One passport photograph
• Medical report (a special form for the examination is obtained from the consulate)
• Documents showing your financial means
• Travel insurance for 3 months
• Passport issuance document from the Police Department (Emniyet Müdürlüğü)

Once your documents are complete and your application is approved, you are first issued a temporary visa allowing entry into Austria for 4 months. After entering with this visa, settling into permanent accommodation in Austria, enrolling at the university and in the German preparatory course, and starting to pay student insurance, the student receives the 1-year Schengen visa already prepared by the relevant authority. In subsequent years the permit is extended for one year at a time.

It is very important not to enter Austria on a tourist visa, as this type of visa cannot be extended. Students travelling to Austria to sit the entrance (aptitude) examinations of art schools and conservatoires are exempt from this restriction.

Another important point concerns how long it takes to obtain the visa. Under a law in force since 01.01.2006, the consulate forwards the documents you submit to the municipality in Austria where you will live. The municipality reviews the documents and checks that the accommodation you have given is genuine and suitable, and within a period that depends on its workload it may request further documents in addition to those required by the consulate. Sending your documents to Austria and processing them there takes time: for Vienna, the process takes between 1 and 4 months on average.

When you go to Austria to study, you may also take family members with you. In that case, however, each person must obtain a visa in their own name. In addition, documents must prove that the family's living and other expenses in Austria are fully funded.